Volume Three: Blossoms in Twin Bloom, Lonely Support on a Single Branch Chapter Ten: The Immortal Fetus

Lan Sheng asked in bewilderment, “Master Yuan, is it over already? But what about my arm?” He turned his head to glance at his still empty left shoulder.

Zhuo Hua smiled. “How could it be so quick? Just now, I merely recorded the structure of your body and the state of your right arm into the Xuanhuang Mirror. Next, the mirror will require about ten days of calculation to complete the intricate map of your arm’s meridians.”

Lan Sheng lowered his head, pondering for a while, yet still could not understand. So he asked, “Master Yuan, Lord Juzhong Xingjun once told me that the Xuanhuang Mirror is the supreme treasure of our clan—capable of surveying the heavens and the earth, discerning the ancient and the recent, and searching the void in the blink of an eye. It’s said to be omnipotent and incomparably swift. So why does it need ten days just to deduce the veins of my severed arm?”

Zhuo Hua glanced at Lan Sheng with a gentle smile. “It’s perfectly normal for you to have such doubts. We often assume that only the sun, moon, and stars above our heads or the unfathomable depths of the ocean are truly mysterious and enigmatic. Rarely do we realize that our own bodies, which we are so familiar with and use daily, are no less wondrous.”

Lan Sheng’s interest was piqued at Zhuo Hua’s words, and he quickly asked, “Master Yuan, what is so special about our bodies?”

Zhuo Hua looked up at him and asked, “Lan Sheng, do you know where your body comes from?”

Without hesitation, Lan Sheng replied, “Naturally, from Father and Mother.”

Zhuo Hua nodded, then continued, “And mine, where does it come from?”

Lan Sheng answered just as quickly, “Of course, it’s just like mine, from Master Yuan’s own parents. That’s no difficult question!”

Zhuo Hua laughed heartily and pressed on, “Then where did the first generation of Xuanhuang people come from?”

Lan Sheng pondered briefly. “Our Grand Tutor once taught this at the Academy. According to the Xuanhuang Anomalies, it is recorded that our ancestors were created by the great Sage of Wisdom and Power.”

Zhuo Hua nodded approvingly. “It seems you haven’t neglected your studies! Now tell me, with what did the Sage create the Xuanhuang clan?”

This time Lan Sheng shook his head, admitting he did not know.

Zhuo Hua found a chair and gestured for Lan Sheng to join him. After sipping his tea, he continued, “The legend of the Sage destroying stars to create men was once recorded in the Anomalies, but that part was lost during the War of the Gods.”

Lan Sheng asked anxiously, “Lost? What a shame! Wait—just now you said the Sage destroyed stars to create humans, not just Xuanhuang. Why not say ‘created Xuanhuang’?”

“Because the Sage did not only create our lineage, but also the Anli clan,” Zhuo Hua replied.

Lan Sheng was startled. “Do you mean to say we share common origins with the Anli?”

Zhuo Hua did not answer directly but continued his tale: “According to the missing records from the Xuanhuang Anomalies, the Sage destroyed a twin star—two golden suns entwined in mutual orbit, equal in brilliance and size. The Sage, with great formless power, drew them together until, at the moment of their collision, there was an explosion unprecedented since the dawn of time. The light from this cataclysm filled the void itself. After their destruction, the Sage gathered the stardust from the blast to form celestial embryos, and instilled spiritual consciousness into them using the gathered starlight—these became the ancestors of Xuanhuang. But where there is light, there must also be darkness. The energy hidden in that darkness was not created by anyone, but was born along with the void itself. As the energy of light was infused into some of the embryos, the energy of darkness quietly occupied the others. This change happened swiftly—legend says that the Sage merely dozed off for a moment, and half the embryos had already been claimed by dark energy.”

Upon hearing this, Lan Sheng grew tense. Seeing Zhuo Hua pause, he quickly asked, “What then? Did the Sage destroy those dark embryos on the spot?”

Zhuo Hua glanced at him, scoffing lightly. “If he had, would we still be hiding in Lanling Void?”

Lan Sheng, thinking it over, realized the folly of his question and said, “You’re right. But then, how did the Sage resolve this?”

Zhuo Hua went on, “The truth is, the Sage was tempted to kill. His spell was already poised—had he loosened his fingers, those newborn dark embryos would have been reduced to dust. But as he gazed at the black and white embryos, he simply sighed and declared, ‘Such is the way of Heaven! Where there is light, there is darkness; where there is yin, there is yang.’ And with that, the Sage vanished into the boundless void.”

“He just left?” Lan Sheng asked.

“He just left,” Zhuo Hua affirmed.

Lan Sheng, a little dejected, said, “How could the Sage be so irresponsible, leaving us with such a disaster?”

Zhuo Hua smiled and asked, “Lan Sheng, if one day your wife bore you twins, and one of them committed evil, would you personally kill your own child?”

Lan Sheng thought for a moment before replying, “Of course not. Even a tiger does not eat its own cubs. But the law would not spare him.”

Zhuo Hua nodded. “I suspect the Sage felt the same. He would not strike down his own creation, but Heaven’s order will. Now it is up to us to play the role of Heaven, and utterly eradicate the Anli from this void, to avenge the innocent souls they have destroyed.”

Lan Sheng’s heart was ablaze, and he declared fervently, “I, Lan Sheng, will burn away this broken body to restore light to the void!”

Suddenly, Zhuo Hua slapped the table. “After all this talk, I nearly forgot to explain why it takes ten days to deduce the meridian map of your arm. As I said, the Xuanhuang bloodline was refined from stardust—its complexity and subtlety rivals the rivers of stars in the sky. To restore your arm perfectly, the entire network of meridians across your body must first be mapped, so that the exact points of connection can be found. Studying your right arm alone would never suffice.”

Lan Sheng nodded, half-understanding, then hurriedly asked, “Master Yuan, what happens after the meridian map is complete?”

Zhuo Hua smiled mysteriously. “Then, in a certain secret place, a new arm must be cultivated over the course of a hundred days.”

Lan Sheng’s voice brimmed with excitement. “So, in a hundred days, my arm will be as good as new?”

Zhuo Hua shook his head, sipped his tea, and replied, “The arm can be restored, but to attach it to your body, one thing is still lacking.”

Lan Sheng asked anxiously, “What is it? I’ll fetch it at once—no matter how far, or how perilous.”

Zhuo Hua said, “This is something that can only be encountered, not sought. As I’ve explained, the Xuanhuang body is forged from stardust, but the consciousness is condensed from starlight. Stardust is easily obtained—the White Tiger Palace often leaps into the adjacent void to gather golden sun essence, and the stardust they have hoarded is more than enough to restore your arm. At first, the Cangyue Pearl can ensure the new arm remains fresh and uncorrupted, but to truly attach it to your body, the radiance of a newborn star is needed.”

“A newborn star? Where is that?” Lan Sheng asked eagerly.

Zhuo Hua replied, “A newborn star is simply a newly born golden sun. In the endless void, every moment some suns die while others are newly born. The light from a nascent sun is the purest, most vital force, and is the best possible choice for restoring your arm. According to the Xuanhuang Mirror’s calculations, the nearest birth of such a star will occur ten years from now. All other opportunities are far too distant—the round trip would take hundreds of thousands of years.”

Hearing this, Lan Sheng was disappointed at first, realizing he would have to endure ten more years with his maimed limb. But soon, hope returned, and he told Zhuo Hua, “It’s alright, Master Yuan. Ten years it is—I can wait. In these ten years, I’ll devote myself to mastering the technique of reversing energy flow, and when I succeed, I’ll restore both arms and win honor for the Xuanhuang.”

Zhuo Hua patted his shoulder in praise, “If only more of the Seven Celestial Clans’ offspring were like you, Xuanhuang’s revival would be assured!”

Lan Sheng replied, somewhat embarrassed, “I was once nothing more than a frivolous youth, acting rashly on a moment’s impulse. Had I heeded advice, General Xiao wouldn’t have perished, and the elite of the royal city would still be defending my parents. We wouldn’t have fallen to such a state.” The more he spoke, the deeper his regret, and tears welled up of their own accord.

Zhuo Hua comforted him, “This is not your fault—it is mine. Ever since the Fairy of Lanling disappeared, I’ve wallowed in despondency, neglecting state affairs and letting the Seven Celestial Clans fall into disunity and strife. I am resolved to revive the old tradition of the Grand Assembly every three years, to unite the clans once more.”

Lan Sheng agreed, “Master Yuan is absolutely right. The Xuanhuang people are already at a disadvantage against the Anli in direct combat. If we remain divided, we stand no chance at all.”

Zhuo Hua nodded, “I have already begun preparations. There is still one task I need you to handle.”

Lan Sheng immediately asked, “Is it about exterminating the Spirit Helm Army?”

Zhuo Hua nodded. “Indeed, you must make a journey to Southern Flame Continent. We cannot let the Spirit Helm Army continue to grow. The Eagle Clan’s intelligence says the Spirit Helm Army crossed mountains and rivers, circled through Western Qi, and finally entered Southern Flame Continent via Central Divine Land. Their true aim remains unknown, but it is certainly tied to the Anli. If so, the danger there will be many times greater than before—you must be extremely cautious.”

Lan Sheng knelt with solemnity, striking his left shoulder with his right fist. “I swear not to fail in my duty.”